ID on this snail please.

[Agathos]

Since I started my tank in september 2009 I've had a few of these snails in the tank. I have never seen them eat anything but fear they may be predators on other snails. They have a long probiscus. Can anyone identify them?

One the first picture one is up side down at the surface and on the second picture one of them glides on the glass.

 

[HanoverFist]

They look like nassarius but to be sure look at the back of their foot.

If they seem to have a solid plate covering the back of their foot, which they pull over the opening when they close up, they are whelks - and are pests. Nassarius have no plating on the foot.

 

[pagojoe]

They do look similar to a couple of species of Nassarius (which are actually buccinid whelks of a sort, as was pointed out on here a couple of weeks ago), but both Nassarius and whelks have the "plate" (operculum) on the back of the foot, some more substantial than others. This one is a buccinid whelk, although I'm not sure it would be much of a problem in your tank, especially if it hasn't already been preying on your other snails. It may be eating vermetids or other small snails, though.

Cheers,



Don